House electkic



w. H. KEMPTON.

PROCESS QF AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDlNG.

- APPLICATION FILED 0CT.17,1918. 1,357,238. Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. H. KEMPTON.

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR MoLDlNG.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I7, 1918 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

HEETS-SHEET 2 lNvENToR W/Y/ard Kem/cion @en/VJ /M ATORNEY WITNESSESI #QC/5 UNITED VSTATES PATENT oFFicE.

WILLARD H. KEMPTON, OF WILKINSBRG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING CGMFANY, A CORPORATION' OF"PENNSYL VANIA.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application inea october 17, i918. serial NB. 258,623.

lparticularly to molds for use in molding bodies of insulating material such as articles.

. comprising superimposed layers of fibrous sheet material, wood flour, asbestos or other fillers impregnated with a suitable binder such as a phenolic condensation product `which may be hardened under the application of heat and pressure.

Oftentimes in the electrical arts it is desirable to form a tubular body of insulating material provided with a collar or shoulder also of insulating material. An example of such a product is the fairlead bushing for the antenna wires of aeroplane wireless installations. The primary object of my present invention resides in the provision ota mold capable of simultaneously molding the tubular body and its associated collar or shoulder,` even vthough the two parts be is simple in construction, has but va few formed of different materials.

. In this connection, a further object of my invention resides in providing a mold which parts and-may be easily and conveniently operated.

With these and other objects in view, my

l invention will be morefully described, illustrated in the drawings, in the several views.

of which corresponding numerals indicate like parts, and then particularly pointed out Vin the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved mold, a portion of the cover plate being broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional` view taken on the line II-IIof Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mold;V Fig. 4 is an end elevation of certain spacerbars employed during the` molding operation; Fig. 5 is a perspective i Y view of one of the forming members employed in my mold, and Fie. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line VI-VI of Fig. 2. showing the assemblyT Votcertain of the mold parts at one stage of the molding operation.-

posed layers of impregnated brous sheet material, such as paper, about the mandrel 2, and a collar or shoulder 3 formed about the ltubular body adjacent one end and tapering toward its ends as clearly shown in Fig. 2. rlhis collar may be formed of any suitable molding composition such as wood flour and a proper binder. Preferably, I employ a plienoliccondensation product both as the impregnated agent of the sheet material and as the binder for the wood flour.

My improved mold body 4; may be made of any suitable material, such as steel and in any desired size and is formed with longitudinally alined communicating mold chambers 5, 6 and 7 opening through the top and bottom of the body with their'walls vertically disposed. The mold chamber 5 is substantially rectangular in shape and of considerable length in comparison with the mold chamber 7, which is also rectangular in shape. The intermediate mold chamber (lis somewhat less in width centrally, than the mold chambers 5 and 7 and tapers from its center to its ends where it communicates with these chambers. The outer end walls of the chambers 5 and 7 are provided centrally with vertically formed channels 8 adapted to receive the ends of the cylindrical mandrel 2 and support it longitudinally of the mold chambers 5, 6 and 7 as clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l and in full lines in Fig. 2.

The body 4 of my mold is formed along its upper and lower longitudinal edges with laterally projecting flanges 9 as best shown in Fig. 3. The mold body rests upon a bottomplate 10 which has upwardly directed ,which maybe driven into-the space `between the flanges of the top and bottom plates and those of the mold body to firmly hold the plates in position.

Top and bottom splits 17 and 1S and side splits 19 are adapted to surround one end portion of the tubular body l and will be disposed within the chamber 5 and the outer faces of the side splits are downwardly and outwardly inclined for engagement with the inclined faces of pressure-applying wedgesA to assembled position they provide a cylin-.i

drical chamber of the proper diameter.

Upper and lower forming members 21 and 22 are provided for use in the molding chamber G being externally shaped to completely i'ill this chamber and internally recessed to mold the collar'. The cover plate 13 is formed with an opening 1-l corresponding in shape and size to the shape of the mold chamber 6 and a closure plate 23 is provided for this opening having depending centen ing studs 24 engageable in openings 25 provided in the upper surface of the upper forming member.

While the above described structure constitutes, properly speaking, the entire mold, I employ, during the molding operation, a

pair of spacer bars 26 of a length somewhat greater than the length of the mold body V4and preferably formed at one end with an opening Y The method of molding bushings with my improved mold will be readily understood from a consideration of the drawings, and only al brief description is believed to be necessary. To prepare the mold for reception of the article to be molded, the mold body is positioned upon the bottom plate, the bottom splits and bottom forming member are placed therein and the spacer bars are inserted between the bottom plate and the '-moldbody to support the latter in a slightly raised position with respect to the bottom splits which rest upon the bottom plate. The tubular body 1 upon its mandrel 2 is `then positioned in the mold, the side splits for each molding chamber are disposed against the sides of the tubular bodywith their lower ends resting upon the spacer strips and the wedges are applied and are forced in by placing the thus far assembled mold in a heatedpress. This much of the molding operation forces the side splits into their final position with respect to the tubuleemos lar body and into engagement with the bot tom splits. it the same time the material of the tubular body is free to expand somewhat above and below by reason of the space provided by permitting the bottom splits to drop between the spacer bars and to the fact that the upper splits have not as yet been applied.

The mold is then removed from the press, the spacer bars are removed, permitting the body of the mold to move as close to the bottom plate as the bottom splits engaging the tubular body will allow and the top splits are positioned above the tubular body and between the upper portions of the side solits. The top or upper plate is then applied and the wedges are driven into tem porarily bind the top and bottom plates in place after which the mold is again positioned in the heated press to force the top plate against the upper' split and subsequently against the top of the mold and to force the mold, as a whole, against the bottom plate so that the top and bottom splits are brought to their final position relative to the tubular body.

inasmuch es during this last application of pressure, the side splits are at all times in close engagement with the top and bottom splits, there is no opportunity of escape or pinching off of material and close shutting off of the mold insured. rllhe wedges are now driven home and the mold is again removed from the press after which a suity able quantity of a molding composition,

press and lrept there until both the tulnilarV .body and its collar have been rendered hard and solid.

After molding has been completed, the wedges may be driven out, the top and bottom plates removed and the various splits,

Vwedges and forming members may then be lmoclred from the mold body vto release the finished product.

.Although l have illustrated a mold adapted solely for molding a particular object, it will be appreciated that the novel principles, of mold construction disclosed, are such that with slight changes molds of the same character may be provided for molding bodies of various designs. 1t will, therefore, be understood that 1 do not wish any limitations imposed upon my invention, other than those set forth in the appended claims.

1 claim as my invention:

l. il mold including a mold body formed with alined communicating chambers, means chamber, a bottom forming Vmember disposed in the chamber, side forming members adapted to receive an article between them, Wedges forcing the side members against the article and against thebottom forming member, a top forming member inserted between the wedges and coperating with the bottom forming member to further compress the article and means for clamping the top and bottom p lates in place.

3. A mold including a body formed with a chamber opening through its top and bottom, a'plurality of forming members adapted to surround an article and to compress and mold it when forced into the chamber, top and bottom plates closing the chamber and means for securing the top and bottom plates in place.

A mold including a'bodyrformed with a chamber opening through its top and bottom, a plurality of forming members adapt- 'ed to surround an article and to compress and mold it when forced into the chamber,

top and bottom plates closing the chamber `and Vmeans for securing the top and bottom plates in place, said means including overlapping Hanges upon the body and plates and wedges adapted to be driven between the flanges of the body and those of the plates.

5. A mold including a body formed with alined communicating chambers, means for supporting a tube-carrying mandrel in the chambers, means disposable in one chamber to compress and mold the portion of tube located therein, means disposable in another chamber to compress and mold a body of moldable material about that portion of the tube located therein, a cover for the mold having an opening through which the second chamber is exposed, means for securing the cover in place and a closure for the opening in the cover.

6. A mold including a body formed with a chamber opening through its top and bottom, top and bottom plates for closing the chamber, a bottom forming member resting upon the bottom plate, spacer bars insertible between the body and bottom plate, side forming members adapted to receive between them an article to be molded and to be positioned within the chamber at opposite sides of the bottom forming member, wedges adapted to be forced into the chamber to press the side forming members against the article to be molded and against the bottom forming member, and a top forming member insertible between the upper portions of the Aside forming members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th dayof Sept. 1918.

WILLARD H. KEMPTON. 

